Machine for ballasting railway-tracks



Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

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I J n I u H q I D. J. DOBSONv MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22. 1918.

D. J. DOBSON'.

MACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, I918.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED APR-22. 1918- Patented Dec. 16,1919.

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MACHINE FOR BALLASTJNG RAILWAY TRACKS.

Patented Dec.16 ,1919.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, IBIS.

DANIEL J. DOBSON, OF GREEN LEE STATION, NORTH CAROLINA.

IYIACHINE FOR BALLASTING RAILWAY-TRACK S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

Application filed April 22, 1918. Serial No. 230,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL J. DOBSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenlee Station, in the county of McDowell and Stateof North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Ballasting Railway-Tracks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

ivly improvement relates particularly to equipment to be used for putting additional material beneath the ties of railroad tracks, such material being earth or sand or ballast, the operation involving the bringing of the track into a higher position proportional to the amount of new material placed beneath the ties. The object of the invention is to provide an equipment or apparatus whereby such work may be done rapidly and by a relatively small number of men and with a minimum interference with the operation of trains over the part of the track on which the work is being done.

The apparatus is supported by wheels adapted to rest upon and run on railway tracks, including the track on which the work is to be done; and the apparatus is adapted to be quickly moved along the track upon which it is being used to and upon a side track when a train is to pass on the main track, and afterward be quickly returned to resume work.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 and Fig. 1 together show a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvement, Fig. 1 showing the right hand part and Fig. 1 the left hand part of the machine;

Fig. is a plan of the portion of the machine shown by Fig. 1

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line, 33, of Fig. l

Fig. 4 is an upright transverse section on the line, 4l, of Fig. l and Fig. 2, looking toward the left;

Fig. 5 is an upright section on the line, 5;--5, of Fig. 1*, looking toward the left;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the ti support on the line, 66, of Fig. 1

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of an axle bearing;

Fig. 9 is an upright section on the line, 99, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a defleet-or;

Fig. 11 is an upright transverse section on the line, 1l11, of Fig. 1 toward the left;

Fig. 12 is a plan of one of the ballast spreader-s detached from the car body and resting upon a track in the working position.

The apparatus resembles a flat car, and, for convenience in description, may be called a car. And during operation it is coupled to the rear of a ballast supply car, and forward of the latter is a locomotive to pull the two cars. Or the locomotive may be at the rear'to push the cars.

Referring to said drawings, A, A, are trucks similar to the trucks ordinarily used in freight cars. hese trucks have wheels, A adapted to run on the ordinary track rails, R. The trucks support a horizontal body, B, which is similar to the body of an ordinary flat car. One of the trucks, A, is placed under. each end of said body in the usual manner. The length of said body is sufiicient tov provide ample space between the two trucks to permit lifting the portion of the track between the trucks and to make room for. the operative members of the aplooking paratus most directly concerned with the 7 work to be performed.

The body, B, comprises longitudinal sills, B the outer of which come close to the edges of the floor of the body. A head sill, B extends across each end of the body, B, and rests against the ends of the sills, B Each end of each head sill projects a little beyond the side sills ofthe body. Each such projecting end forms a support for one end of a rod, D, said rod being horizontal and lying parallel to the outer face of the adjacent longitudinal sill, B and xtending through the head, B The 0pposite end of the rod, D is supported on a bracket-form rest, D which is attached to the outer face of the adjacent sill, B That end of the rod projects beyond said rest and supports a link, D To that link is coupled or joined a stay rod, D which extends thence obliquely downward to the tie-support, D.

The tie-support comprises a flat horizontal plate, D extending transversely t0 the length of the car body, B, and long enough to project outward at each side of the track beyond the ends of the ties. Thus each end of said plate is brought below theadjacent end of the floor of the car body, B. On each end of the plate, D is a horizontal cross.

head, I). In the particular form shown by the drawings, said cross head is composed of an angle bar having one flange extending below and riveted to the plate, D and having the other extending upward. The adjacent end of the rod, D has an eye, I). A clevis, D extends through said eye and is coupled to the upright flange of the cross head D, the clevis pin, D, extending through said flange. On each of said rods is a turnbuckle, D, by means of which said rod may be shortened or lengthened. Lengthening said rods will lower the tiesupport, D, and shortening said rods will raise said support. When working on straight parts of the track, the tiesupport is to be level. When working on a curve, the

.end of the tie-support which is at the outer part of the curve is to be raised.

Nearly midway between the ends of the body, 3, are two pairs of tongs or grippers, C, which are suspended from the body by a screw shaft, C extending upward through a hand-wheel nut, C which rests on a base, C which is seated on the floor of the body, B. By turning said hand-wheel nut to raise the screw shaft, the tongs are lifted. The function of these tongs is to engage the rails, R, and lift and support them until the tie-support, D, has been inserted and connected. -After said support has been inserted and connected, the tongs are released from the rails and then drawn upward far enough to clear the rails when the machine is moved endwise on the track.

When the machine is to be put to work on a track, the track is first raised, by meansof the tongs, high enough to permit inserting the tiesupport beneath the ti s, said support having first been freed from its clevises. When said support has been thus inserted, the clevises are again attached to the cross heads, D. Then the turn-buckles, D are turned to shorten the stay rods, D to lift the tie-support into its working position. After that has been done, the tongs, C, are to be released and then lifted to clear the rails.

lVhen the clevises, D are free from the tie-support, the stay rods are moved upward and laid on supporting brackets, D on the adjacent side sill, B the rods being put into this raised position to clear the track when the machine is moved while not working.

On the plate, D are nose bars, I), having their ends project beyond the side edges of the plate, D The projecting ends of said bars are tapered downward to adapt them to reach beneath the ties while the machine moves lengthwise on the track duringits working. The nose bars are of such length and are so placed as to make them reach simultaneously beneath two or more ties, T, in order that when the machine is moving lengthwise on the track, the tie support will not disengage from one tie until it has extended beneath the next forward tie for the support of the latter. The nose bars may be of such number as is deemed desirable. This tie-support serves to lift the track progressively while the machine is moving endwise on the track. The height of the tie-support may be varied by turning the turn-buckles, D This may be done at one end of the tie-support inclependently of the other end, whereby the track may be held level on straight stretches and inclined in the proper direction on curves.

F or controlling horizontal positioning of the rails, a pair of alining wheels, E, E, supported upon and spaced from each other by an axle, E are used. One of said wheels, while the machine is working normally rests upon one of the rails while the other of said wheels rests on the other rail. The ends of the axle, E rest in bearings, E which are supported on bars, E The axle is slid-able endwise as well as rotatable, in said bearings. Said bars are hinged on a shaft, E, which is transvese to the body, B and rests in bearings, E applied to the lower face of said body. The opposite ends of said bars are connected by a rigid cross bar, E. Between said bar and the axle, E is a screw shaft, E arranged parallel to the axle and having its ends resting in bearings, E on the bars, E Next to each of said bearings, said shaft has an annular shoulder, E to prevent movement of said shaft in the direction of the adjacent hearing. The middle part of said shaft is screw threaded. Between said shaft and the axle is a yoke member, E having a lateral bracket, E, which surrounds the screw shaft and is interiorly screw threaded to be engaged by the threads of the shaft. At each end said yoke member has an arm, E directed toward the axle and having a bearing, E engaging the axle. By means of said bearings and the bracket, E, the yoke member is supported. On each arm, E, is a roller, E the arm forming a relatively fixed axle for said roller. Said arms are so located and the rollers are of such size as to cause the rollers to bear against the inner faces of the wheels, E. By turning the screw shaft, E it will forcibly move the interiorly threaded bracket, E and the yoke member, E in a direction parallel to said shaft and the axle, E Since the rollers, E, are in engagement with the track wheels, E, the track wheel which is forward relative to the movement of the yoke member will be moved in the same direction, the axle and the other track wheel. E, taking the same movement. The screw shaft, E may be rotated by'applying a link or similar tool to the polygonal end, 6 of said shaft.

When the apparatus is to do work on a track which is to be straight, the yoke member, E is so set as to put the wheels, E, into alinement with the wheels, A of the car. Then the wheels, E, will force the track rails sidewise into alinement with the parts of the rails upon which the wheels, A rest. \Vhen the track upon which the apparatus is working is to be curved, the screw shaft, E is turned to force the wheels, E, E, out of alinement with the wheels, A, A in the proper direction and to the extent which will conform to the track curve.

In order that the axle, E may rock when the track rails are at different elevations, particularly when the apparatus is working on a curve, on which the outer rail is to be higher than the inner rail, the bearings, E are elongated in the upright direction, in order that the ends of the axle may move upward and downward through the range required by difference in elevation of the track rails. The interior of the bracket, E, is to be sufiiciently free on the screw shaft to permit the yoke member to rock with the axle, E For holding the wheels, E, E, in engagement with the track rails, the weight of said wheels, the axles, E the yoke member, E ,-the rollers, E, the screw shaft. E the cross bar, E, and the side bars, E exert force downward. Each of the wheels, E, has a flange, 6, extending outward radially far enough to make ample engagement with the adjacent track rail. At each side of the body, B is an upright guide, E secured rigidly to said body and extending downward over the outer face of the adjacent hinged bar, E Said guides hold the frame composed of the bars, E and E against lateral movement.

To each of the guides and the car body is applied a brace, E, which adds to the stability of the guides.

lVhen the apparatus moves along the track during operation, the wheels will turn the rollers E the latter being idle and serving as anti-friction rollers.

hen the apparatus is to be moved along the track without working, the wheels, E, are to be lifted out of engagement with the track rails. For this, a link, E", is applied to the screw shaft, E near each bearing, E and said link is suspended from the lower end of a screw rod, E which extends upwardthrough the car body and a bearing, E supported by the car body, above said hearing. A nut, E surrounds said rods, E. The drawings show said nut in the form of a hand-wheel. By turning said nuts in the proper direction, the screw rods, E and said links are lifted, whereby the screw shaft, E and the adjacent ends of the bars, E and all the parts supported thereby, including the axle, E and the wheels, E, are lifted. When work is to be resumed, the

nuts, E, are turned in the opposite direction to effect the lowering of the parts supported by the screw rods, E

Between each truck, A, and the axle, E is an appliance for spreading the ballast or other filling material lying upon the track above the ties, as will next be described. These two devices are duplicates, but they are reversed in direction, each being directed toward the adjacent truck. Hence the description of one of these devices will answer for both.

F, F, are wheels resting on the track rails, R. F is an axle extending through said wheels and into bearings, F in the ends of a rectangular horizontal frame, F At the front of said frame (toward the adjacent truck) are two oblique plates, F one extending from one and the other from the other end of the frame, F and said two plates meeting each other at the middle, upright, longitudinal plane of the apparatus. At said plane the forward ends of said plates are bent parallel to said plane and secured to the side of a runner plate, F which is in said plane and directed forward and ex tending between a pair of hangers, F which are secured to the lower-face of the body, B. A cross pin, F extends through the forward end of said runner and into the space inclosed by the pair of hangers and is adapted to limit the rearward movement of the forward portion of said spreading device when the latter is in the working position. A connecting member, F, has its lower end coupled to the runner, F and its upper end to the short arm of an angle lever, F resting in bearings, 13", on the body, B. When the long arm of said lever is in the horizontal position and directed toward the adjacent truck, th short arm extends downward and the connecting member, F is in its lower position, at which time the runner,

F rests upon or near the ties, and the cross pin, F rests in or near the lower angle of the hanger, F The oblique plates, F are shown extending downward at the inner side of each rail to reach or nearly reach the upper face. of the ties. Rearward of the rectangular frame, F, is a horizontal bar, E, which is parallel to said frame and approximately equals the length of the ties, so that the ends of said bar project outward across the rails. An oblique plate, F extends from each corner of the frame, F rearward and outward to the adjacent end of the bar, F and the ends of said plate are secured to said frame and said bar. The lower edge of said plate extends downward to or nearly to the upper faces of the ties. To each end of the bar, F is secured the lower endofan upright connecting member, F The upper end of said connecting member is coupled to the short arm of an angle lever, F which rests in bearings, F When the long arm of said angle lever is in the horizontal position and directed toward the adjacent truck, the short arm extends downward, and the member, F is in its lower position and allows the wheels, F, F, to rest upon the track rails. Vfhen the long arms of the angle levers, F 9 and F, are turned in the opposit directions the short arms of said levers are extended upward, whereby the connecting members, F and F and the spreading device, including the wheels, F, F, and the axle, F are lifted bodily away from the track. In that position the angle levers are to be engaged by holding members, B seated on the car body.

When the apparatus is moving along the track without working, both of these spreading devices are to be in their upper positions. WVhen the apparatus is working, the spreading apparatus which is at the. time forward is to be in its lower position.

In operation, my improved apparatus is to be coupled to the rear end of a ballast supply car, a car which carries ballast or other filling material, said material to be discharged upon the track while the train is moving forward, the quantity of such material being about as much as is needed for the filling. Forward of the ballast supply car is to be a locomotive for moving these cars. Or the locomotive may be at the rear and push the cars. During the movement of the apparatus, the oblique plates, F, and F of the forward spreading devices come into contact with the filling material deposited upon the track by the supply car, and said plates, acting in sidewise direction, spread said material to approximate evenness with the upper faces of the ties between the rails and outside of the rails. At the same time, the tie-support, D, holds in its elevated position the part of the track which is between the trucks, A; and the filling material goes downward between the ties and into the spaces under the ties.

hen the apparatus is at work and needs to make a clear way for a coming train on the same track, the clevises, D are uncoupled from the tie-support, D, and the adjacent ends of the rods, D are lifted and placed over a bracket, D on the adjacent sill, B and the spreading device which is at that time down, and the wheels, E, E, and axle, F are lifted by the means described. Then this ballast train may quickly move to and out upon a side track. After the other train has passed, the ballast train may quickly return and be recoupled to the tie-support and have the appropriate spreading device and the wheels, E, E, and axle, E again lowered into their working position.

On each end of the tie support, D, (Figs. 6 and 10) is a scraper, G, hinged on an upright post, G mounted on the plate, D

Midway between the ends of each scraper are two horizontal ears through which the post, G extends for forming the hinge. At each end the scraper has a hole, G The post, G is so located as to place the scraper obliquely on the plate, D when one end of the scraper bears against the adjacent clevis, D and the holes, G are at such distance from said post as to allow the clevisi pin, D to extend through the adjacent hole, G as well as the clevis, when the scraper bears against the clevis, whereby the front end of the scraper is held innnovably. The scraper is preferably flexible in order that its rear end may yield sidewise. In use, the end of the scraper which is forward, according to the movement of the car, is secured to the forward clevis. The function of this scraper is to engage and press ballast material sidewise into the spaces between the ties. In this connection, it is to be remembered that the oblique plates, F, on the spreading apparatus are above the ties while the scraper, G, is at the elevation of the ends of the ties, the ties resting upon the cross arms, D of the tie support, D.

In addition to the features of operation already mentioned, attention is directed to the fact that the strain put upon the tiesupport while supporting the track and while being drawn along beneath the track, to progressively elevate the latter, is not upon the middle of the car body, but upon the parts of the car which are supported by the trucks, the stay rods, D being attached directly over the trucks. The strain exerted for the lifting of the track by means of the hooks, O, is applied to the middle of the car body; but this is only long enough to permit the insertion of the tie-support, D, and at a time when ballast and the spreading device are not resting upon the track. This provision for suspending the tie-support from the ends of the car body affords greater durability and permits using lighter construction in the car body.

I claim as my invention,

1. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support. adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, and stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, and adjustable stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the nature de-' scribed, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a; track;

and beneath the ties, and stay rods detachably joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described.

4:. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of the track and beneath the ties and comprising transverse nose bars, ind stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described. I

5. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to; be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties and comprising a plate, cross arms, cross heads, and stay rods coupled to said cross heads and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties and comprising a plate, cross arms, cross heads, clevises coupled to said cross heads, and stay rods coupled to said clevises and to the car adjacent its ends, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, and means for engaging and lifting the track for the insertion and removal of the tie support, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, and gripping tongs for engaging and lifting the track for the insertion and removal of the tie support, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination of a car body, wheels supporting said body, a tie support adapted to be placed crosswise of a track and beneath the ties, stay rods joined to said tie support and to the car adjacent its ends, and means comprising a screw shaft for engaging and lifting the track for the insertion and removal of the tie support, substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, and means for forcing the trackrails laterally for alinement of said rails, substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, and a pair of wheels for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, substantially as described.

. 12. In an apparatus of' the nature described, the combination with a car' body and Wheels supporting said body, of means located intermediate the. ends of said body for lifting the track while the car is moving along said track, and a pair of wheels for forcing the track rails laterally for alinement of said rails, and means for forcing said wheels along their axial line and for lifting said wheels from the track rails, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and means for spreading loose material lying on the track, substantially as described.

14:. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and means supported on the track rails for spreading loose material lying on the track, substantially as described.

15. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and means for spreading loose material lying on the track, said means comprising wheels adapted to rest upon the track rails and oblique spreading plates combined with said wheels, substantially as described.

16. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, means for spreading loose material lying on the track, and means for lifting the spreading means out of engagement with the track, substantially as described.

17. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and. means f preading 7 loose material lying on the track, said means comprising a frame extending crosswise of the track, wheels applied to said frame and adapted to rest on the rails of the track, and oblique plates associated with said frame, substantially as described.

18. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track, of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, and two oppositely-directed means for spreading loose material lying on the track, substantially as described.

19. In an apparatus of the nature described, the combination with a car body and wheels for supporting said body on a railway track of means for progressively lifting the track when the car is moving along said track, two oppositely-directed means for spreading loose material lying on the track, and means for lifting said spreading means and supporting them from the car body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name this 17th day of April, in the year one thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

DANIEL J. DOBSON. 

